The Four Questions

If you’ve ever attended a Passover Seder, you’ve heard of The Four Questions. They are questions put to adults at the table, inviting them to tell their children the story of the Jewish exodus from Egypt. Today I’d like to suggest that in order to improve your health or weight, you need to ask yourself the following four questions, challenging yourself to articulate your food story so that you can devise your own exodus from unhealthy eating habits and yo-yo dieting. Here goes.

Am I eating fruits and vegetables at most every meal and snack?

Am I consuming healthy fat daily, such as that found in nuts and avocado?

Do I eat whole grains and generally avoid sweetened and processed foods?

Do I limit animal foods, and do the animal foods I eat come from nontoxic sources?

Notice that none of these questions ask about individual nutrients like “omega 3s” or vitamin D, or about particular ingredients like gluten. Fixating on nutrients and ingredients is what the media would have you do, but far more important is the way you eat, or what I call your food pattern.

As an analogy, consider a student who, rather than building good study habits, meeting with his teachers to review tests and papers, and making sure to get enough sleep, focuses on such things as having the fanciest calculator, the best pencil sharpener, and the cleanest laptop. These may all be parts of being a fine student, but they will never earn him the learning or grades he desires.

Now think about how you yourself eat. Perhaps you are like many harried adults who eat a packaged bar or muffin at Starbucks for breakfast on the run, grab whatever you can at lunch, and then arrive home after work starved, digging into whichever chips you can get to fastest. Dinner may be healthier, but often you will be busy with the kids or work late, and just order pizza or Subway. Then you’re hungry and grumpy before bed, so the leftover Halloween candy comes out. Is it clear how adding some omega-3 pills or Vitamin D to this routine, while of some value, is almost beside the point?

Now consider the person who has more successfully tackled the conundrum of modern eating. His quickie breakfast is a banana or orange and a pack of almonds or hard-boiled egg. For lunch, he perhaps finds a salad bar and avoids heavy toppings and too much dressing. Afternoon snack might be a low-sugar yogurt or some veggies and hummus or guacamole. Dinner, again, will hopefully be something healthy and home-cooked, like roasted fish and vegetables, but even if it’s carry-in, it’s not fast food. Again, later at night, he may snack on fruit or popcorn.

Do you see the difference between these two patterns? Back to the four questions then. If you can slowly adopt improvements that will allow you to answer “yes” to each of them, your food pattern, almost unnoticeably, will start to improve. And since whole foods are the unsurpassed delivery system for vitamins and minerals, you will also be addressing your need for most of the fad nutrients you are reading about in the media.

Since even the healthiest of eaters may still be deficient in some micronutrients, if you are concerned about this, by all means, go in for labs with a doctor who has some interest in and knowledge of nutrition. I go to the Beaumont Hospital Division of Nutrition and Preventive Medicine in Troy, Michigan where I was found to be low in B-12, iron, and a couple of other things that I take supplements for.

But I stress that these are supplements. What is a supplement? According to Merriam-Webster it is “something that is added to something else to make it complete.” Supplements are not foundational—rather, they are add-ons that are meant to complete or enhance something else. Don’t try to substitute them for a solid foundation of healthy eating, any more than you’d advise your kid to substitute fancy tech items for good study skills. The principal, and outcome, will be exactly the same.

(Note to my readers: If you like KALEandKANT, please consider forwarding any relevant posts to friends or family members that may also enjoy it, and please encourage them to sign up for updates or have you sign them up for updates directly. It takes but a minute. You would really help the site, and I would gratefully appreciate the support. Thank you! —Kelly)

Comments

What a great article, you broke it down so it is doable, and you gave us easy places to make healthy choices. Thank you for caring about our heath and giving us many helpful hints. You’re definitely a source of light.

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I help women who want to eat and live better—whether they seek to lose weight, gain energy, or create a healthier home.

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Renee Erlich

Working with Kelly has been life changing. I've learned about healthy food options, their health benefits, portion control, reading labels, and how to prepare these foods deliciously. In just three months my eating habits have changed, my energy level is up, and I've lost weight even though I'm eating more food than ever! Most importantly, my family is reaping the benefits.

Renee Erlich

2014-07-15T17:15:14+00:00

Renee Erlich

Working with Kelly has been life changing.

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Tina Baird

Kelly helped me figure out why I kept making the same bad choices even though deep-down I so wanted to make changes. We worked together to enable me to get out of my own way! By helping me adopt small, easy-to-reach goals to work on between meetings, I made steady progress that added up to major change over the course of six months. I am eating and living in a far healthier way than I ever thought possible. I feel amazing and my weight is finally under control.

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2014-09-09T17:13:05+00:00

Tina Baird

I feel amazing and my weight is finally under control!

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Paula Milgrom

Kelly helped me put in place a system of new daily habits that transformed my eating and exercise. Rather than giving you a list of foods or exercises to figure out on your own at home, she takes you step-by-step with biweekly meetings to help you create a new lifestyle. I highly recommend her approach if you’re stuck.

Paula Milgrom

2014-10-01T17:14:04+00:00

Paula Milgrom

Doctors and nutritionists send you home with a “to do” list. Kelly helps you actually get it done. I highly recommend her approach if you’re stuck.

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Stephanie Lyons

I learned with Kelly that small changes can make big impacts. She helped me prioritize my week and create a plan to get all of the important items on my to do list accomplished. Kelly showed a tremendous amount of support during our meetings which made it easy for me to speak about the aspects of my life I wanted to improve on. I would recommend Kelly to anyone who is looking to get on the path toward a healthier self.

Stephanie Lyons

2015-02-16T15:05:33+00:00

Stephanie Lyons

I learned with Kelly that small changes can make big impacts. She helped me prioritize my week and create a plan to get all of the important items on my to do list accomplished.

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Ann Knapke

I’ve been working with Kelly now for 6 months and have truly enjoyed each meeting. She has guided me, supported me and educated me on how to live a healthier lifestyle for my family and myself. Kelly has helped me set attainable goals and has provided me with the resources to meet my goals without feeling overwhelmed or stressed in the process. I highly recommend Kelly. She is dedicated and committed to helping you create optimal health whether it’s your own personal goals or your families.

Ann Knapke

2015-06-25T16:29:01+00:00

Ann Knapke

I’ve been working with Kelly now for 6 months and have truly enjoyed each meeting. She has guided me, supported me and educated me on how to live a healthier lifestyle for my family and myself.